Colorado State University Athletics
Bell tolled thrice for Rams on draft day in 1979
5/1/2009 12:00:00 AM | Football
May 1, 2009
By Matt Pucak
Athletic Media Relations
FORT COLLINS, Colo.-- It might have been a journalist's nightmare, three players all with the same last name, two of who even shared the same first name. But for Colorado State, having three Bells in the lineup during the late 1970s certainly was a dream come true.
The Rams' trio of Bells, consisting of Mike Bell, CSU's All-American defensive lineman, his twin brother Mark E. Bell, a bruising tight end, and fleet-footed wide receiver Mark R. Bell, weren't just joined by their surnames. They were also forever linked by the 1979 NFL Draft, when all three were selected. This weekend marks the 30th anniversary of that draft.
Mike went first, taken as the second overall selection in the draft by the Kansas City Chiefs, the same team for whom he cheered growing up. Mark E. was later selected in the fourth round as the 102nd player chosen, by the Seattle Seahawks, and Mark R., no relation to the other two Bells, went in the fifth round (130th overall) to the St. Louis Cardinals.
Rounding out one of the most successful drafts in CSU history was the Atlanta Falcons' selection of center Bill Leer in the 11th Round, 292nd overall.
Having three star players with such similar names forced teammates and coaches to come up with a way to differentiate between the three Bells, so each was given a nickname relating to their last name; Mike became Ding, his brother Mark E. became Dong, and Mark R. became Tinker.
All three had fantastic careers at Colorado State, but it was Mike who shined the brightest. A hulking, 6-5, 265-pound defensive tackle, he possessed an astonishing blend of strength and quickness that made him almost impossible to block. Arguably the most honored Rams player ever, Bell was tabbed as an All-American in multiple seasons and by publications ranging from the Sporting News to Playboy's prestigious preseason squad.
His finest season was as a junior, when Mike made 103 tackles, 15 sacks, forced four fumbles and recovered two fumbles. During that season he was named Sports Illustrated and Associated Press Lineman of the Week after a dominating performance against Arizona State. In CSU's 25-14 victory over the nationally ranked Sun Devils he made 17 tackles, four sacks, forced a fumble, recovered a fumble and recorded a safety. Mike struggled with injuries as a senior, including a knee injury that looked like it might cause his draft stock to fall. Still, he finished second in the voting for the Outland Trophy, given to the best lineman in the country.
In a testament to how dominant Mike had been in college, his injury didn't end up scaring any teams away, and on May 3, 1979, he was taken second overall in the draft by Kansas City. The team that passed on Mike, the Buffalo Bills, then saw its pick, Tom Cousineau, sign with the Canadian Football League's Montreal Aloutettes. Playing for Hall of Fame coach Marv Levy, Bell was a starter instantly for the Chiefs and stayed in the starting lineup for most of his 12 seasons with the franchise. He recorded 490 tackles, 10 fumble recoveries and 52 sacks, still the fourth-highest total in Chiefs history. In both 1983 and 1984 he was named the first alternate for the AFC Pro Bowl team.
Mike didn't play football until he was a junior in high school, but he quickly burst onto the radar of colleges after a successful career at Archbishop Carroll High School in Wichita, Kan., the same school that produced CSU's Joe Brown, a tight end who signed a National Letter of Intent in February.
Though Mike received offers to play at several schools, he was determined to play football with his brother in college, and many schools weren't sure if they wanted to offer his twin a scholarship as well. He and Mark E. were both wanted at CSU and Wichita State, and despite pressure from their mother to stay close to home, they followed the advice of their high school coach Larry Basky. Basky posed the question to the brothers about which state they would rather reside if they ever got hurt and couldn't play football, and the pair decided that Fort Collins was the place for them.
Mark E. may not have garnered much interest coming out of high school, but he would catch the eye of NFL scouts, especially after he blossomed from a blocking tight end into the Rams' leading pass catcher as a senior. After entering his senior season with just eight catches and no touchdowns, he made 26 catches for 328 yards and three scores, proving he was more than just Mike's brother, but an NFL-caliber player. Many of the passes thrown to Dong that season came from the arm of CSU's current Head Coach Steve Fairchild, who was in his first season as a quarterback at CSU in 1978.
After being together their whole lives, the Bell twins were separated after the draft when Mark E. was picked by the Seahawks. He played three seasons in Seattle before finishing up his career with a couple of seasons in the Baltimore/Indianapolis organization.
Also catching passes from Fairchild was Mark R. While lacking the size of the other Bells, he was the fastest, running a 4.35 40-yard dash. The speed-demon receiver burst onto the scene for the Rams as a freshman, catching two long touchdown passes and finishing third on the team in yards, despite only making just seven catches. As a junior, Mark R. became a big-play machine, catching 40 passes for 797 yards and nine touchdowns, among the highest totals in CSU history, earning all-WAC honors and a reputation as one of the most explosive players in the nation.
While his stats went down as a senior, Tinker still showed his game-breaking ability with 24 catches for 459 yards and five touchdowns. After being selected by the Cardinals, Mark R. played two seasons for the team, playing both receiver and returning kicks for St. Louis.